Red Sonja KM84 by krissmack

Red Sonja made it onto the countdown because of her attitude and expression as well. This looks like Red Sonja. The pose and cocky glare project charisma and brashness. The designer did an excellent job at expressing thematic content, which is why Krissmack’s design made it onto this week’s countdown.

I found this particular Miniature Masterpiece to be simultaneously stunning and haunting. Better still, it subtly expresses the subject. Lycan Blood Hunters is the unofficial class that employs werewolf abilities and fighting prowess.

Of course, the Hero Forge library is inundated by Santa Claus minis this time of year, but this one stood out to me. This isn’t your typical Saint Nick. Melchior made an effort to instill their design with a specific cultural style. It works!

The “Norse Saint Nicholas” clearly represents an old-world flair. The attention to detail along with the color palette and clothing asset choices really sold this one for me. And of course, there is a small badger asset peering between Saint Nick’s feet.

Is that part of a Norse legend? 200 points for you if you know why Melchior added this adorable little creature. Please, leave a comment below and share your knowledge.

Project Incinerator by Realhasles

This guy looks like a hot rod from hell. The excellent implementation of the color palette complements the exquisite design features. This looks like a nightmare from a diesel punk campaign ready to burn away the competition. I particularly liked the skull embellishment on the chest. It reminds me of a hood ornament. Perhaps the hood ornaments on Satan’s Cadillac?

Ancient Automaton by somecleverusername

Dammit, Somecleverusername made it onto the countdown 2 weeks in a row! This guy is on fire.

“Ancient Automaton”, was not created by a novice. The simple pose conceals the true nature of this Hero Forge Miniature Masterpiece. Every color you see here, for instance, is a custom creation. When you download this mini and open the mixing tool, you’ll find that each and every color was not only formulated but also named by the designer. Somecleverusername really cares about what he’s doing.

The broad body type of this miniature is crafted through the layering of multiple minis. Stacking minis is not the easiest thing to accomplish, but it is made all the more harder when you intend to expand the width of the figure. Splitting the 2 miniatures torsos often leads to weird overlaps and obvious seems. There’s none of that here.

Also, I challenge you to look through all the photos and tell me how he used the tail asset here. It was clever, and virtually impossible to spot. If you can’t find it, open the miniature in Hero Forge. All minis on the countdown are provided with a link.

Ent by daTurcky

I’ve seen and spotlighted my share of Ents and anthropomorphic trees, but this one stood out to me for several reasons. To start with, this design presents a thin or narrow frame. Most humanoid tree creatures found on the Hero Forge platform possess a broad thick design. Creating detailed foliage across the chest often bulks out the design, but daTurcky managed to sidestep that issue here.

I also found this miniature to represent Tolkien-style Ents better than most. Not every tree creature on Hero Forge is meant to be an Ent. Of course, his influence is felt in all of them, but some designs are simply meant to be the spirit of a forest. This particular design, however, clearly represents its subject matter. The beard, tree canopy, and branches just give off so much Tolkien.

Finally, I found the color palette to be unique and well-employed. These shades of green and brown were manipulated to exaggerate the outer edges of the mini. It gives the design an old and weathered feel. The soft greens with neutral tones express age and weariness. This, I have not seen in other depictions of these forest guardians.

It is for these reasons, Ent by daTurcky made it to the number 1 spot on this week’s Hero Forge Miniature Masterpiece Countdown.